GROWTH & IMPACT: Wyatt-Johnson wins for philanthropy

Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group is the winner in the category of Philanthropic Impact, in this year's first-ever Clarksville-Montgomery County Growth & Impact Awards.

Wyatt-Johnson is credited with philanthropy that has touched the lives of numerous individuals in the area. With contributions ranging from food drives to scholarships, the local family of dealerships "continues to remain at the forefront of Clarksville's humanitarian effort," said the awards entry summary for Wyatt-Johnson.

Wyatt-Johnson wrote, "Our programs are designed to give hope and motivation, while rewarding the hard work of our community's students and educators."

"By partnering with some of the leading brands in the automotive industry," the dealership said, "we participate in a large variety of programs to further assist our growing community."

Very few local companies compete with the humanitarian efforts of Wyatt-Johnson Automotive, as reflected in its award. "Furthering education and giving hope for a brighter future are the primary motivators for community involvement."

From Pass & Go to orchestras

Wyatt-Johnson's flagship program, "Pass & Go," motivates high school students to challenge themselves academically. By scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on the advanced placement test, students are entered for a chance to win a new car donated by Wyatt-Johnson. Pass & Go has helped increase the number of students that sign up and excel on the AP test. It was created as an incentive for students to take more-rigorous courses in high school and improve the passing rate on exams.

Teachers also benefit from Pass & Go. Wyatt-Johnson donates $5,000 to the cost of training for teachers to better-educate students taking the AP test.

The Automotive Group recently donated $1,000 to the Patriot Foundation, which is an organization that provides scholarship funding to children of deceased or wounded soldiers.

The Sid & Louise Johnson Scholarship Fund was created to give employees and their families a chance to continue their education at Austin Peay State University.

Annually, Wyatt-Johnson also donates to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation, the Teacher's Warehouse, and the Gateway Chamber Orchestra.

Participating in the Subaru "Share the Love" campaign helps to raise money for local charities. For every fuel-efficient vehicle purchased during a designated time frame, Subaru and Wyatt-Johnson both donate $125 to a local charity.

In 2015 Share the Love raised $12,000 for the community. Paired with Hyundai and the Hope on Wheels program, Wyatt-Johnson has raised over $50,000 annually for childhood cancer research at Vanderbilt.

FUEL and Manna Cafe

This year, Wyatt-Johnson has donated over $12,000 to the Full of Emmaus Love (F.U.E.L.) project, which is a food subsidization program that provides ready-to-eat food to children over the weekends. The Automotive Group hosted a food drive at a company picnic and contributes all items to F.U.E.L.

Wyatt-Johnson employees have also volunteered numerous hours at Manna Cafe.

"While contributing to education is extremely important to our organization, we also try to reinforce a sense of community pride and partnership," Wyatt-Johnson wrote. "In 2016 alone, Wyatt-Johnson has donated over $5,000 to civil institutions as as the Clarksville Police Union, 101st Airborne Division Association, and the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

"During the same time frame we contributed over $3,500 to local sports teams and social organizations. The Montgomery County Cattlemen's Association built the 4-H Livestock Arena with contributions from Wyatt-Johnson in honor of Sid Johnson Sr., commemorating his love of agriculture," wrote the dealership.

Reach Business Editor Jimmy Settle at 931-245-0247 and on Twitter @settle_leaf.